Utah Jazz guard Alec Burks looks on against the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter of the Nuggets' 101-94 victory in an NBA basketball game in Denver on April 12.

It's rare that we write about sports in this space. It's even rarer when we talk about professional athletics. But the Utah Jazz - the preeminent pro franchise in Utah - have an important decision to make in the coming weeks, and that decision could have big ramifications for the state.

The Jazz are selecting a new head coach after the team decided not to bring back Tyrone Corbin after a little more than three seasons. This past season, the Jazz finished 25-57, one of the franchise's worst records since moving to Utah. That had less to do with Corbin's coaching prowess and more to do with the Jazz upper management deciding to play less experienced players and build the team by getting better draft picks.

Indeed, the deck was stacked against Corbin. In fact, it could be argued he did too well because the Jazz, while bad, were nowhere near the worst team in the league, which would have given the team a better chance at a higher draft pick.

But the coaching change does bring with it some interesting possibilities. The past three coaches have all come from inside the organization and were named quickly. Since the early 1980s, the franchise hasn't looked outside the organization to bring in any new perspectives or ideas of how to run the team.

It's now doing just that, with the rumor mill working overtime as Jazz fans ponder who could be the next person in a suit running the team from the sidelines. Some popular names being tossed out right now include former University of Utah coach Jim Boylen, who was a top assistant for NBA powerhouse San Antonio, and Lionel Hollins, a former Dixie State player and former coach of the Memphis Grizzlies.

While it's fun to speculate, the choice of a coach in the NBA is a significant issue. It's particularly important this time around because the Jazz likely will have a high draft pick, which means the team likely will be able to pick an incredibly talented player with the potential to be the franchise's next Karl Malone or John Stockton. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that the Jazz could end up with two to three solid, young players by the time training camp opens up this fall. Add them to the mixture of young guys the team has coming back, and it's clear to see that the team isn't just going to be selecting someone who can handle the X's and O's of coaching but also who will serve as a mentor for a very young group of players.

So, we find ourselves asking the Miller family, which owns the Jazz, to do something it isn't very well known for: spend money. Go out and spend the money necessary to hire the best possible coach to lead the franchise. Select someone who can build up young players, help them mature and return the franchise to being among the elite in the NBA.

Winning may not be everything, but it is something. Victories draw people to the games and to the television. That support helps the state's economy. And, let's not forget, there's a huge morale boost that comes when "your team" is doing well.

Jazz fans have endured some awful seasons of late. It's time to pay the money to get the best possible person and then let that person mold the team into a winner.

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In Our View: Utah Jazz

It's rare that we write about sports in this space. It's even rarer when we talk about professional athletics.